To Return Again ((Open))

[Zieg dil' Tulfried]

((Open to 1))

Hmm... where to begin? Well, I suppose this should begin where any good story would, at the beginning with the introduction of the narrator and main protagonist. I am Zieg dil' Tulfried. Or was rather. It is tough to say really. Well, one thing I do know is that it most definately is not dil' anymore. That title was lost about 3 and a half years ago, when my people were utterly decimated by the Salvarians. At that time, there was really no longer a Haidian Army to be the High General of.

So at the very least you could call me Zieg Tulfried... or Zeik Luval. I'll get to that in a moment, I suppose. For now, just know that things are not what they once were. No, my life has taken a large swing away from what it has been, like a pendulum swinging back and forth. My mentor and former commanding officer Rakthean would probably be very disappointed in me at this moment.

What have I been doing the last three and a half year? Where have I been hiding? Well, that is a long story. You see after the Haidians were forcibly sent back to our underground prison, I knew things had to be changed. I had to get away, for the sake of my son. I snuck into the Royal Library of Vainta and took every book on magic I could find. Then I took every belonging I had, along with those books, and left Haidia, taking my son Kaza and companion Xeppa with me. We ended up in Salvar, ironically, taking up residence in the very region that destroyed my people.

While living in an old abandoned castle, I trained Kaza in his magical abilities, using the books I had stolen as a guide. I discovered that I myself had some innate magical ability, which I had previously displayed through my blazing sword and burning cyclone abilities. It was clearly nothing to the extent of Kaza, but I was not without talent. So, for the past three and a half years I have taught him, and myself, while in the refuge of an icy castle. Okay, so maybe it was not such a long story.

Well, recently, while studying one of the books of magic, I came across an old entry about magical storehouses of ancient times, where supposedly artifacts of great power were held. You see, back during the Demon War, over two thousand years ago, the Demon Army ruled nearly all of Althanas. Were it not for a last effort by Alerar, it is quite likely the Haidians would rule to this very day. Anyways, during the war, the Demons, now known as Haidians, established secret storehouses all across Corone and Althanas in general. Protected by magical wards, the storehouses could not be found unless one knew exactly where they were at. However, this book gave me the locations of several of these storehouses.

So why am I writing this then? It is quite simple really. What I discovered in the first storehouse leads me to believe that this is going to be an amazing tale that could be known forever. It could change Althanas as we know it. I decided that I would keep a journal of these events, in order to tell everyone about it.

The first of these magical stores was hidden in Corone, in what once was a small forest that has now grown into a quite large forest. After a day and a half of traversing through dense trees and rugged undergrowth, Kaza, Xeppa, and myself finally managed to arrive at the site. The building itself looked more like a temple than any storehouse I had ever seen. Stone blocks about a foot in length made up the building's structure. A large entryway was surrounded by stone pillars, one on either side. Atop the pillars was another smaller entrance, not appearing to have anything covering it. Large vines covered the building, criss-crossing the entrance and barring the door.

Well, Zieg, this looks like the place. Xeppa growled in my head. Xeppa was a very special Magim Beast. As Kaza grew older and more accustomed to seeing the large wolf-like creature with large leathery wings, Xeppa made the decision to shed his puppy facade and stay as his true form a majority of the time. Not that Xeppa was any old Magim Beast, but that is a story for another time.

"It feels like it doesn't want us here." Kaza replied. My son had changed a great deal in the last three and a half years. Ten now, Kaza had matured a great deal, thanks mostly in part to the human half of his ancestry. Most ten-year-old demons were not very mature. He wore a simple black tunic with silver symbols on the back and arms, magical wards to help protect him from harm. A large wooden staff which helped him channel his magic was strapped to his back. His platinum hair, once worn down, was now spiked up.

I suppose I should stop here for a moment and describe my own appearance at this point. Few who know me as the Demon High General would recognize me in my current state. Gone is the blue and black armor which formerly adorned my body. Now I wear a simple black tunic with red striping down the sleeves and, like Kaza, a symbol said to protect the wearer. I carry a satchel at my side with necessary items, and my sword, the Gamygym, strapped to my back. It is really the only link to my past that I wear these days. Under my tunic, I wear simple chainmail to protect me from harm. I still only have my right arm, my left having been charred away in a very painful episode. Fortunately, I can ignite an arm made of fire at any time, which is quite useful at times. My hair, once worn long in a ponytail under my helmet, has been cut short and spiked as well. I needed a new identity, one that makes me feel more youthful.

I nodded to Kaza, as I could feel what he had been referring to. I felt as though something was pushing against me, trying to repel me from the storehouse. "How do we get in? Those vines would take weeks to cut away from the door and even then we do not know what kind of protections are in place."

Kaza gazed over the building a second time and pointed up to the opening above the door. "There, that opening may be our way in." I reached in my satchel and pulled out a rope attached to a small grappling hook. I handed it to Kaza and pointed to Xeppa.

"Ride Xeppa up to the entrance and tie this around something so I can climb up."

[003-Crimson Ace]

Corone was the name of this place, and Dusk found both the name and sites somewhat boring. His life had not been filled with all that much excitement till this point, at least in his own eyes, but he found himself quite bored with the current flow of events. He had arrived here not long after leaving Istraloth, receiving many questioning looks. It had not taken long for the locals to question his appearance, wondering of what race he was akin to. He answered there questions with a curious shrug and similar thoughts. He never thought about what he really ways, he knew that inside him an endless number of machines powered by magical energies slowly began to move, currently presenting themselves as two black limbs exiting from his back. He also knew that inside these machines slept any number of demons, and that this body of his was originally meant for the demon he had come to call Mr. Sin, and was only his through a chance discovery by some person, possibly human in origin, unfortunate enough to become the majority of his genetic code. Demon, possibly?

It did not matter; Dusk would have plenty of time to figure out what exactly to classify him as through the years to come. He had just been 'born' and he had no intensions of losing his life any time soon. This in mind, he also realized that the more exciting times in life were when one’s life was actually in some form of danger and so far Corone had shown him little threat. After days unsure of where to travel next with no destination in mind and still unsure of how to work the Searcher in his pointless wondering had brought the child to this place. He returned the malfunctioning piece of equipment in the form of a compass to its rightful place in one of the pouches on his vest as he came to hear voices.

Steal was not something Dusk had learned very much of in his short travels upon Althanas, but he had become somewhat interested in learning such a skill. Sadly, the boy had not the slightest idea in how to gain said skills and lacked any natural talent in masking his presence. This was apparent as he soon found that, the origins of these voices were no more than a few feet ahead of him and had he paid less attention to his surroundings probably would have walked right into one of the three standing ahead of him.

The boy had been somewhat shy upon his first contact with other beings but had learned to shed these feelings, to some degree. Still, he felt a bit uneasy amongst this group he so happened to stumble upon for reasons unknown. It was not the usual uncertainness he had experienced when he first met Lucy who he saw as something of an elder sister figure, but more akin to the voices of Shedal or Van Waltz when he experienced their aligned emotions. Yet another emotion in the long list that Dusk was starting to develop?

Despite the feelings he that were beginning to arise, Dusk had learned it was rude to simply ignore those you met and proper etiquette stated one must introduce themselves when meeting others. "Greetings." The boy said, making himself known if the group were not already aware. He let a few seconds pass as he looked over the three figures through his bangs, the glossy black hair hiding the spectacle that were his multi-colored and ever swirling optical orbs. His long black hair swayed with a powerful gust of wind that shook the trees, hundreds if not thousands of leaves (though Dusk would not be sure as he had only just learned how to count to the number eight) chattering with a roaring accompaniment to the whistling breeze. He grabbed the large purple bow, wider than his own form and pulled it down with his left arm, keeping the length of hair in place as he began to speak again.

"My name is Dusk Vera.....as to what race I belong to I am unsure, but I believe demon would suffice? I have not national background and thus no parents or home so that is why someone as young as myself travels alone." He began to speak above the song of the wood, but soon found that the breeze had settled and his words were somewhat of a shout. These were usually the questions Dusk had learned people would ask, and decided things would move along faster if he introduced himself by hitting all of these subjects before others bothered asking. He had found that a small number of people were not all that curious and stated they did not need to know his life story, but the chance of hearing at least one of the questions he had answered in advance were much greater.

"If it is not too much trouble, may I ask your names as well?" He had lowered his tone quite a bit this time around, though with some frustration in his voice as he had decided to let go of the bow just as another breeze began to pick up. Much lighter than the first with nowhere near as much noise produced, he did not bother to keep his hair in check this time.

[Zieg dil' Tulfried]

Kaza practically leapt onto Xeppa's back and together they flew up to the ledge above the door. My son managed to find something or other to wrap the grappling hook around and then they glided back to the ground. About this point a strange person crashed through the underbrush into the clearing around the storehouse. Completely caught off guard, I whipped out my blade and pointed it at him without really thinking. Looking back at it now, I was probably a bit too jumpy at that point for some reason.

The creature quickly introduced himself as Dusk Vera, giving other useless information as well. I must say that he was a very odd fellow, claiming to be a demon, yet clearly not of the Haidian variety. I was unsure just exactly what this being was, but a feeling led me to believe he was not of Haidia. He almost looked feral as the long black hair flapped around in the wind.

I slowly lowered my blade, glancing over to Kaza and Xeppa. Kaza had followed my lead and drawn his staff, though he wore a look of curiosity across his face. I looked back to the self-proclaimed demon and merely nodded. "I am Zie... Zeik. Zeik Luval."

So here it shall be explained. Zeik Luval. A name I came up with off the top of my head. I do not truly understand why it is I decided to forgo my old name and take on this new persona. I was not running from my past, nor was I truly hiding from it. I suppose I did not want to be judged based upon my past mistakes. Maybe I wanted to sever the last ties I had to my past and move on. I do not know. All I know is that now I am part Zieg Tulfried, and part Zeik Luval.

Kaza, an eager child, stepped forward to introduce himself. "I'm Kaza..." was all he managed to get out before the ground beneath his feet began to glow a brilliant white. Soon it became so bright that I was forced to look away, and when I managed to open my eyes I saw a frightening sight.

Standing a mere two feet away from Kaza were five beasts that truly were feral. They had the stature of a wolf, thin and swift, with the massive mane of a lion. These beasts seemed to be made of pure light, yet seemed to have substance. The strangest thing about them were their eyes. They were bright orange and seemed to cut straight through you.

At this point, I shouted "Kaza!" at the top of my lungs. There is no greater fear a parent has than to see their child in danger. It felt as though my heart had somehow made its way into my through. I ran at the beasts with my sword raised, hoping to draw their attention away from my son. The Gamygym burst into flames, a familiar glow, and a arm of flame took form where my left arm had once been.

All at once the beasts scattered in various directions, two headed straight for me, two headed for Kaza and Xeppa, and one leapt toward Dusk. I stared down the two facing me, my blood red eyes striving to match the intensity of their orange ones. The first leapt at me and I swung my blade and caught it straight in the side, knocking it away. Unfortunately, the sword did not seem to cut into the beast. I heard explosions of fire to my left where Kaza and Xeppa were fighting and I had to hope they were okay. Luckily, Xeppa was just as protective of Kaza as I was, so I knew I could count on him.

I lost sight of Dusk, so I knew not what was happening with him. All I knew was if he could not handle the creature coming at him, there was little I could do to help.

[003-Crimson Ace]

Dusk understood he was somewhat of an oddity around Corone, but he did not expect to startle someone to the point that they draw their weapons in defense. This however was the case as the man and boy before him held a sword and staff respectively at the realization that he had appeared. Perhaps he deserved more credit for his stealthy movement then once thought. The man seemed to let his guard down somewhat, letting the blade in his one arm drop to his side; while the child continued his ready stance though it was much more lax then it had been moments ago. Dusk's reaction was rather mellow for such a situation as he was very seldom viewed as a threat, at least in the sense that one readied their weapon against him. Regardless he kept calm as he felt that these people meant him no ill harm.

The larger of the two introduced himself as Zeik Luval, though he stuttered a bit when introducing himself. Dusk realized he had gotten the drop on them, but he did not believe he had surprised the man this much. He found it amusing, a small smirk forming at the corners of his mouth as the smaller companion introduced himself as Kaza. The name of their third companion or answers to exactly where Dusk had ended up would be at a momentary delay however as light showered the one known as Kaza.

Dusk was struck with awe as he watched the boy glow, bathed in the radiant sheen. This feeling of excitement was soon matched by thoughts of uneasiness. It was quite possible Kaza was casting some sort of spell, one that could prove problematic for Dusk if Zeik and the boy were aiming at him. He doubted this was the case however as they had lowered their guard and the two seemed almost as surprised as Dusk was at the flash upon closer expectation.

The flash soon faded, but left in its place were five figures just as astounding as the light itself for it seemed they were composed of it. Their eyes were of a burning orange that brought attention to the beasts. With bodies like that, they were most definitely not meant for stealthy movement. Was this a spell the one named Kaza had produced? What was its purpose? These questions were one Dusks mind for no more than a second before he was given his answer. Zeik screamed out for Kaza, fear heavy in his tone as his sword was engulfed in flame and his missing arm was replaced by one of the same burning substance. The answers were, no and to kill.

As Zeik charged into battle, the creatures went on the offensive. Dusk was startled as one of the creatures made its way at him, leaping upon the boy. In panic Dusk brought the Crimson Ace to life, the two black tendrils rolling up two of their six feet into a tightened cylinder and bashing into the creature, sending it back into the air. The being of light regained its composure, landing on its paws only a few feet away while Dusk ran from his position. He moved closer to the group, the creature chasing him as he did so. Being so young, Dusk had little chance to learn anything about proper battle tactics, his biggest fighting experience being against a crab nearly the same size as himself in Istraloth. Compared to the crustacean, this creature was on an entirely different level. Still rolled up, the remaining four feet of the Crimson Ace bandages remained raise, as Dusk looked behind him to see the beast just on his tail. He looked to see Zeik fending off two of the beasts, while Kaza and the creature accompanying him fought two more. Their ability to handle these creatures was far more than his, and it was apparent. Still, there was no way Dusk was going to let something that hardly had a physical form become his predator, this thing would become his prey.

Stopping with little notice, Dusk spun around on his left foot, bringing both parts of the Ace to his right side as he spun. The makeshift ‘hammers’ bashed into the creatures side once again, throwing it off balance but this was not where Dusk would end his offensive strike. A swift kick into the creatures snout with his right followed up with a repetitive bashing via the Crimson Ace mallets left the beast on the ground as Dusk continued to kick it repeatedly. The creature lashed out with its claws, scrapping Dusks arm a bit as blood flew from the open wounds. Dusk jumped back at the shock from the cuts but did not lose his focus. The creature had already gotten back up and lunged at the boy again. This time around, he released the Crimson Ace form their rolled state and wrapped one around the front and hind legs of the beast rolling out of the way as he did so. The beast fell hard to the ground, struggling to break form its bonds. It was far from defeated but at least he had bought himself some time.

[Zieg dil' Tulfried]

As the first beast flew to one side, the second leapt at me, its jaws open wide. Unable to get my blade back to protect myself, I swiped my left arm of flames at it. I felt it connect with the creature's head, my clawed fingers scratching at its face. I watched the beast roll to the ground and when it got back to its feet I noticed burn marks across one eye. A sudden realization occurred to me, which I subsequently shouted aloud.

"Magic is their weakness!"

The two wolf-ish creatures began to circle around me, wary after they had been thwarted in their first attack. I maneuvered myself around to see how Kaza was faring. He had gotten back onto Xeppa's back and the two of them were hovering about fifteen feet off the ground, well out of range of the creatures. My son had his staff at the ready and his eyes were closed as he readied a spell. Circles of light formed in mid-air in front of him as his spell was completed. From the circles came a storm of fire, bearing down on the two light wolves that had been waiting below.

I watched as they tried to dodge the first of the fire that came raining down upon them, but soon it came in such a downpour that it was near impossible to dodge. The first was hit by one after another and soon exploded into tiny shards of light. The second quickly followed suit.

Distracted by my son's attack, I did not notice the two wolves I had been facing leap toward me. The first knocked me down and the second leapt onto my chest, attempting to bite my neck. I quickly grabbed the creature on my chest with my flaming appendage about its neck and squeezed as tight as I could. I watched as the wolf made of light struggled in my grasp. It could not last, however, as soon I saw its eyes bulge out before it shattered in my grasp.

I rolled off of my back and quickly returned to my feet. I saw my second wolf standing hesitantly nearby, as well as Dusk, who had the last wolf tied up in some sort of long bandage. Focusing my power into my blade, I felt the fire well up around it. It then shot out in a small burst directed at the free wolf. It blasted into the creature and it shattered into pieces. All that was left was the light wolf that Dusk had captured.

Xeppa landed nearby and breathed a stream of fire out in front of him, engulfing a large bush. Tell him to toss the creature in there. Xeppa told me telepathically.

"Dusk, toss that creature into the fire and it should take care of it."

[003-Crimson Ace]

sorry for the long wait, i have been a bit sick for the past few days


With the creature immobilized for the moment, Dusk could do little else but watch the others and their fights. Zeik had come to the realization that magic was the only way to defeat these creatures and they all began to attack accordingly. Kaza preformed some sort of flame spell and quickly obliterated the two creatures that had attacked him and his flying pet. It seemed fire magic was a favorite of this group. Zeik used his arm of fire to take care of one who had come close to dispatching himself. The next was defeated via a blast of fire erupting from the man’s sword.

With this only one more beast was left, the one Dusk had been pitted against. The problem was that the child had no magical ability whatsoever. Dusk looked to the others, trying to think of a way he could defeat the monster when a bush was suddenly set ablaze. The flames had originated from Kaza's pet and it seemed eager for Dusk to act upon its actions. Zeik then ordered Dusk to toss the beast into the burning bush. This would prove less of a problem than performing magic himself, but to actually toss the creature would be a choir. The Crimson Ace could only lift so much and Dusk was not exactly the strongest person around.

The bush was only a short distance away, and all Dusk had to do was put the beast inside of the flames. He might not have been able to throw it but he could put an end to the creature all the same. Pulling the Crimson Ace back, the light beast was freed from its bindings, only to be sent flying by the reformed Crimson Ace mallets. With only a few hits, the light wolf was forced into the bush and exploded in a burst of light and flame. The Crimson Ace slowly returned to its hiding place as Dusk turned to Zeik and Kaza. "It is a pleasure to meet you both Zeik Luval and Kaza. Mind if I ask where exactly we happen to be?"